Automobile torpedo



E. LEES AND H. w. RIDSDALE. AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

v APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, I919.

1,351,526. Patented Aug- 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E, LEES AND H. W. RIDSDALE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6|19I9. 1,351,526, Patented Aug; 31, 1920.

4 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

E LEES AND H. W. RIDSDALE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1919.

1 35 1 526 Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

h x v v A E. LEES AND H. w. RIDSDALE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1919.

I Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Mall

UNITED STATES PA'l'ENT OFFICE.

EDGAR LEES AND nnnnnnrwnnarrnr 'nrnsnern, or WEYMOUTI-I, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORS TO THE wnmnnnnn-rcnrnno wears wnrnocrng LIMITED,

: OF EYIV LOUTH, ENGLAND.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

b all whom'it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR LEES and En 'BERTV VHEAZLEY Rinsnaiin, both subjects of the lling or Great Brita-in, residing at Portlandl larbour Torpedo Works, i/Veymouth, in-the countyof Dorset, England, have invented certain new and useful lm provements in or Relating-to Automobile Torpedoes, of which the tollowingis a speci fication.

This invention relates to automobile t or.- pedoes of the kind in-which means are em;- ployed for causing the torpedo at a predetermined point in its travel to-depart from its initial run (which is herein' r terred'to as straight although in practice itis slightly sinuous) and then to steer a curved or other course, the 5 object being again to direct the torpedo toward the target in order that it may have another chance of hit ting, should a direct hit not-havebeen'ei"? tected. g 1 l 1 According to the present invention, means are provided for causing 1 relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve seating, the said means being-so constructed and arranged in relation to the gyroscopepthat this relative movement can be obtained without disturbing the-setting of the gyroscopei For this purpose the said means'may either cause the 'valvelseating to be moved while the valve remains held by the gyroscope orthe said'means may cause a device onthe vertical (which is usually the outer) gimbahofthe gyroscope toop erate upon the valve actuating member of this gimbal in such manner-as to displace the, s'aid'memberupon the gimbal in the horizontal plane and thereby move the valve relatively to the position in which it would otherwise be held by the gyroscope. The said means preferably embody a series of controlling cams anyselectedone or" which cairbe moved intoan operative position prior to launching, these cams lying dormant-until the torpedo has'runa predeter- "niined"distance after launchin' for this s a I purpose an ad ustabIe' contrivance, which can beset in accordance with the estimated range of thetarget,is provided for causing the operation of the cam from the propelling engine to commence as soon as this range has been. run. The said controlling cams determine the points of time at which slpa m mr r a Patented Aug. 31, 1920. Application filed J'une G, 1919 Serial No. 302,367.

' course in a straight line steered by the target may be, the torpedo and target will eventually meet. The sp ral: course in question s that already known in naval circles as the curve of search and consists in a spiralwhich' cuts each possible radial course of the target steered from a given point of departure, at a point-where the time taken by the target to reach that point is equal to the time taken by the torpedo to reach the same" point at a higher speed on a course steered along the spiral drawn through all such points on all possible radial lines. The diificulty' in applying this curve to a torpedo attack is that the point ofvdeparture of the target nearly coincides at the moment of a miss-with the point of departure of the torpedo when the miss occurs. The cams are therefore so shaped as to cause the torpedo,'should it miss the target, to follow'a preliminary or preparatory course before enterin'gthe curve of search, this preliminary course, which may be of any desired shape, being of such a length that the time taken by thetorpedo in traveling along it is equal to thetime required by the target to reach, in a; straight line, the point at which the preliminary course terminates.

his preliminary course preferably includes a certain amount of over run which forms a continuation of the initial straight run of the torpedo and which is introduced to in sure'that the torpedo shall not depart from its straight run'until the target has been passed. Such premature departure would of course make a direct hit impossible if the range had been under-estimated. The curve of search is preferably composed of a number 0t short straight lines corresponding to-the periods when the cam is not causing relative movement to occur between the valve and the valve seating and a number of arcs to which the straight lines are tangents and which correspond to the periods when the cam is operating to cause relative movement to take place'between the valve of the target is to the left or to theright of V the line of bearing of the target. I

In order. that the said invention may be clearly understood vand readily carried into effect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the acconipanyingdraw ingsin which 2+ .7 Figure 1 shows more or less diagrammatically a side elevation of that form of the invention in which the seating, of the controlling valve-is moved whi'le'the valve remains held by the gyroscope.

'Fig. 1' is .a ClllglflmmttfiOSlClG elevation of detail hereinafter referred to.

-Fig. 2 showsmore or less 'diagramiinaticallya sectional elevationofa-series of; the aforesaid cams and the means for moving any selected one of them into an operative position prior to launching.

. Fig. 2 is a planshowing more or less diagrammaticallya form of interconnecting mechanism hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 3 shows more or less diagrammatically an end elevation of that form of the invention in which the valve is moved relatively to the position in which it would otherwise be held by the gyroscope. f r .Fig. 4; is a diagram showing the aforesaid preliminary course and part of the curve of search course steered by the torpedo providedwith either of the above forms of the invention, assuming the speed ratio between the torpedo and the target to be five to one. This diagram is marked to indicate n yards the lengthof the straight portions 'of the I course and in degrees the angular measure of the curved portions of the course, all these curved portions having a common radius of two hundred. and sixty yards which is assumed for the purpose of this example to be the minimum tnrning'radius of the torpedo. The spiral portion of the course actually followed by the torpedo is shown by full lines and departs only slightly from the geometrical spiral which is shown by chain lines. 1 i

Fig. 5 shows more or less diagrammatically an end elevation similar to Fig. 3 in which an automatic reversing arrangement is provided for causing the torpedo to take asinuous course, and V Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately on the line 6, of Fig. r

A represents the gyroscopefcomprising as is well understood a flywheel a, aninner gimbal a andan outer gimbala to which the inner gimbal is connected by horizontal centers at, a and which is COIlllGCtQClbY vertical centers at, a to-a frame A; B is the rotary controlling valve of usual design, and b is the valve seating'which, in the ex'amplesshown, is constituted by a valve cone fitting in an airtight manner in a casing B forming part of the frame A; this casing has ports ieading to a cylinder containing a relay piston valve the movement of which admits air underpressure to the steering engine which: holds the steering rudder hard over alternately to port and starboard as is well understood, the rudder during the run of the torpedo never being held by. the steering engine in the central 7 The valve cone. 6 has the I usual three circumferential or in a neutralxposition.

grooves which now serve to maintain communication between the ports in the valve cone and those in the casing B whatever the angular position of the vaive cone may be in rela on to the casing. The sa d valve carries a toothed wheei B meshing with a similar wheel A connected to the outer gimbal a coaxially with thevertical centers (W, at these toothed wheels taking the place of the usual forked lever connected to the valve and the usualpinon the outer gimbal.

In,the form of the invention shown by F g. 1 the valve cone 6 is adapted to be angularly displaced relatively t6 the-valve B and the casing B when the torpedo is to take a curved path, by the engagement of a pawl C, constantly driven from the propelling engine by an eccentric C with a ratchet wheel 6-; this ratchet wheel is connected by pmions 0', 0 ,1 c with a worm. C

gearing with a worm wheel C connected to or made integral with the valve cone 6.

D represents one of the aforesaid cams the function of which is-to control, through a two armedlever cl, d, a' spring'stop or plunger D and a vmask or guardD the points of time at which the pawl C shall be allowed to impart movement to the ratchet.

wheel 0 and thence to the valve cone 6 or the periods during which it shall be prevented from imparting such movement; the rotative position of the cam thus determines 1 whether the torpedo shall take a curved'or a straight path. The said camlies dormant in the position shown until the torpedo has run a predetermined distance after launching with the mask D in the -masking position shown, preventing the. pawl C from imparting movementjto the ratchet'wheel c.

The aforesaid adjustable contrivance for causing the camtobe driven from the pro pelling engine at the termination of this dormant period, comprisesa sleeve Eadapted to be angularly set by a shaft E through the gearing shown in accordance with the estimated;range of the target. This sleeve carries a projection e, the circumferential distance .of which from a detent arm f corwhole run of the torpedo.

responds to the target range setting and which, by the engagement therewith of this detent arm, causes the cam to be driven from the eccentric C in the manner hereinafter described.

' The parts are shown as being in the position they occupy when the torpedo has just been launched, with a projection or raised portion 03 of the cam in contact with the arm d of the two-armed lever d, cl and with the sleeve E set to bring the projection e thereon at the required circumferential distance from the detent arm f corresponding to the estimated range of the target. This detent arm engages with a detent g on a ring Gr and is pivoted at f to a disk F which is displaced step by step from thepropelling engine in the direction of the arrow on this disk through'suitable reducing gearing deriving its motion from a ratchet wheel F. During the straight run of the torpedo before the detent arm f is disengaged from the detent g by the said arm coming against the projection e, the said ratchet wheel is operated in the direction of the arrow on this wheel by a double pawl P. This double pawl is pivotally carried by a toothed sector F meshing with another sector F to which oscillatory motion is imparted from the engine by the eccentric C during the The disk F meshes with atoothed ring F carrying a p)awl 7 which is adapted to drive the cam through a ratchet ring F (connected to the cam) when the ring F is moved in a clockwise -directiombut which when the ring F is moving in the direction of the arrow on this ring (this being the casewhen the torpedo is running its straight course before the detent arm fis raised) slips over the teeth of the ratchet ring F and the cam is therefore not driven. A restraining pawl f is provided for en aging with other ratchet teeth on the ring so as to prevent the camvfrom moving in an anti-clockwise direction during the time that the pawl f is slipping over theteeth on the ratchet ring F These conditions last'during the time i that the detent arm f is being gradually brought toward and into contact with the projection e and corresponds to the straight runof the torpedofor a distance equal to the estimated range of the target. During this time the eccentric C is moving the pawl C which is endeavoring' to displace the ratchet wheel 0' appertaining to the valve cone 6 but which is prevented from so doing by the mask D being held in its masking position by the. engagement of the plunger D with the radial face of an'arin (Z on the said mask.

The ring Gis controlled by a spring G i which may be energized by .hand prior to the'launching of the torpedo or which may be energized automatically at the moment of launching the torpedo. The means for effecting the energization automatically are shown by Fig. l in which 200 represents the shell of the torpedo, and 201 the usual air lever by means of which the engine starting valve is opened as the torpedo leaves the launching tube. 202 is the pivot of this lever and at a short distance from it is a pin 208 which projects from the side of the lever 201and is connected'by a rod 204: to a similarpin at the extremity of an arm 205 pivoted at 206. The arm 205 is made integral with a toe 207 which is adapted to engage an extension 208 of the arm 9 on the ring G when in the position in which the spring G is not engaged. hen the lever 201 is drawn back in the act of launching the torpedo, the rod 204: pulls the arm 205 and'the toe 207 into the position shown by full lines,the toe engaging with the extension208 and thereby energizing the spring.

When the detent arm 7' is moved out of engagement withthe detent g as aforesaid at the termination of the straight run of the torpedo over a distance equal to the estimated range of the target, the ring G formed with this detent is caused by the spring G (which was as aforesaid energized by hand prior to, or automatically at the moment of, the launching of the torpedo) to move smartly in the opposite direction until arrested by the engagement of the arm g thereon with a stop 9 on the disk F and tocarry with it a sleeve H by means of ratchet teeth on the ring G engaging with a pawl it carried by the sleeve H. This movement of the sleeve is then augmented by a spring H attached to a pin [L2 on a toothed disk H connected to a toothed segment H on the sleeve as shown, the purpose of this additional movement being to bring the head h of the pawl it out of engagement with the ratchet teeth on the ring G and cause it to rest upon a fixed projection H carried by the fixed frame A. The said movement of the sleeve ll displaces the anchorage f of a spring F operating on the double pawl f into the position shown by chain lines, with the result that the other end of the pawl will now engage with the ratchet wheel F. In consequence of this, since the sector F on which the pawl f is mounted is being continuously oscillated from the engine, the ratchet wheel F will be moved by the said pawl'in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow and the rings F, F will also in conse quence move in the reverse directions to those indicated by the arrows thereon. The pawl f" carried by the latter ring will then commence to move the cam D through the aforesaid gearing from the eccentric C in the direction shown by the arrow on the through thelever d, d so long as the pro-.

jection'd of the camis in contact with the arm (Z, this period corresponding to the the arm (5?.

aforesaid over-run of the torpedo; this of the mask D? and a spring 45?? then re- 7 volves this mask into a'position in which a gap therein exposes the teeth of the ratchet wheelc to the action ofthe pawl C. The latter thus displaces the valve cone 6 through the pinions 0, 0 0 the worm C and worm wheel C thereby causing the torpedo to move in the arc of a circle having a radius corresponding to the minimum turning radius of the torpedo. This arcuate movement continues so long as the plunger D remains in its retracted position, that is to say so long, as the depression (Z of the cam remains opposite the arm cl; this depression corresponds to the travel of the torpedo from the point 2 to thepoint :2 of

Fig. 4. When this travel has been completed, a second projection (Z engages the arm d and causes the plunger D to be depressed so as to protrude into the path of During the time that the depression cl" was opposite the arm (Z and the plunger D. was in consequence in its retracted position, projections a on the ratchet wheel 0 had been comlnginto contact (O11{.6

in every five steps torexample of the said wheel) with an arm vC of a toothed segment C gearing with teeth on the mask D and had thus been intermittently displacing the mask into a position in which it! was about to mask the teeth of the ratchet wheel ,0, when each projection'movedclear of the arm C", vhich it didv at the completion of each series offive steps of the ratchet wheel,

the spring a? had returned the mask to'its normal position since the plunger D was not free to assume or, did not occupy its protruding position. When however, a projection in'the cam is opposite the arm d, the plunger D is free to assume or is in its protruding position and the said plunger then engages with the radial face of the arm d as shown at the completion of oneot the said series of five steps and thus holds the mask in its masking position as shown. The

pawl C is then prevented from actuating the ratchet wheel 0 and thevalve cone .6

is therefore'no longer operated. The; torpedo consequently follows a straight course known and the point in thespiral where during the time that the arm al is in con-f tact with the projection (Z of the cam, this time corresponding to the travel ofthe torpeoo from the point 2* to the point 2" in Fig. 4. At the point 2 the torpedo enters the curve of searchcourse which is comp'osedot a numbero'r' arcs of circles whose lengths correspond to the lengths ofthe various .depres sions on the cam D .and anumber oftangents whose lengths correspond to the lengths of the various projections on the cam. The course from-the point lto thepoint 2 represents the aforesaid preliminary course of the torpedo and is so chosen, havingv regardto the speed ratio of the torpedo and target, that the time taken for the torpedo, traveling along the said course, toreach the point2 equals the'time taken by the target to travel in a straight line irom the point 1 tothe point .ZIhad such been its course instead or" 85, that shown by the arrows. The direction and distance 12 is obtained by mathematical computation when eachcam is de signed. Thealgebraic law of the spiral is the radius of curvature is equivalent to the least turning radius of the torpedo may therefore be determined; this gives the length of the radius 1 2 Five times this distance (ifthespeedlratio is fiveto one) gives the length ofthe preliminary course from 1 to 2 the fover-runfrom l to 2 being arbitrarily selected. The remainder of the course is determinedv algebraically.

In the arrangement shown by Fig. Q'the means for moving any selected one-of the aforesaid cams into I an operative position prior to launching, comprises a shaftJ actuated from theiexterior ofthe torpedo and .o aeratin throu 'hbevel earin u 30D a shaft J. i The latteris rotatably mounted in part or the frame A" andcarries a screw J 2 engaging with screw threads iorm'e'din a nut j which is prevented fromfrotating by the engagement ofa key j with a slot in the aforesaid part of the frame Al' This nut carries between'suitable abutments'thereon a sleeve difhavingfpins 7' j which pass through a slot j formed in a tubular extension of the aforesaid-ratchet ring F these pins engage with a second sleeve Jtslidably' mounted onthetubular eXtensionand carrying a number of the aforesaid-cams. Tt'w'ill thus be seen tl1atby rotating the shaft J any one ofthe cams can be brought opposite the arm (2 of the atoresaidtwo-armed lever (Z,d. 4 Y The shafts E and J may be interconnected in suchmanner that'when the latter has first been-actuated to bring the camhaving the required speed ratio intothe operative position, the shaft Ecan then be operated to set the projection 6 only within certain predetermined limits of range dependent on the speed ratmof-tha t particular cam and ,130

7 zone as possible. A constructional form of the lnterconnectmg mechanism 1s shown in,

Fig. 2 in which the shaft J is formed near the shell of the torpedo with a pinion 100 adapted to mesh with a gear wheel 101 made I integral with a bush 102. This bush is rotatable about a shaft 103 and carries an indicating finger 104 arranged to be brought opposite any one of markings Open range 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, etc., on the exterior ofthe shell to show which of the cams D has been brought into the operative position. Integral with the bush 102 is a cam 106 the periphery of which is stepped, equally or unequally as may be desired, and angularly disposed relatively to the indicating finger V in such manner as to bring an appropriate step in the periphery of the cam into the path of a movable rack 107, thereby forming for the latter an adjustable stop. This I rack ismounted in a guide 108 and may be caused radially to approach or recede from the center of the shaft 103 by means of a pinion 109 with which it gears. This pinion is formed on the shaft E, and meshes with a gear wheel 110 having a pointer 111 adapted to move over suitable range markings 112 on the exterior of the shell to show the position of the aforesaid projection e of Fig. 1 as 'set in accordance with the estimated range of the target. The motion of the rack 107 is limited in a direction toward the left by a fixed stop 113 in which position the reading of the pointer 111 is the maximum possible range along which the torpedo maybe run, and ma direction toward the right by contact withthe periphery of the cam 106 in which position the pointer 111 will indicate the minimum range at which the target may safely beattacked when the particular speed ratio indicated by the finger 104 is being em ployed. Should it be found desirable just prior to launching the torpedo for example to employ the cam designed for the next higher speed ratio than the one then in the operative position,the shaft J would be adjusted as described thereby bringing the cam 106 into a position in which the step placed in the path of the mam? is of smaller radius than the step previously in that position. If thought necessary the target range may now be slightly lessened but only by an amount corresponding to the'extra'movement toward the right that itis posslble to impart to the rack 107. The reason why the target range may be lessened is that the zone covered by the next higher speed ratio is less extensive than that covered by the next lower ratio. On the other hand should it be desired to lower the speed ratio, the finger 10% could not be adjusted to the required position owing to the engagement of a step in the cam 106 with the back of the rack 107. So therefore to use a lower speedratio the rack must be withdrawn'by increasing the range setting of the pointer 111 by a sufiicient amount. Should it be found more convenient to operate the shaft E in accordance with the estimated range of the target before adjusting the shaft J, then the latter may be adjusted to bring into operation only those cams having the particular speed ratios the minimum target'range for which is equal to or lessthan the range asset. hen the lowest step in the periphery of the cam is brought into the path of the rack 107, the selected cam brought into the operative position is a'plain one provided (as will be armed lever (Z, cl is held in a position in which the arm (1 is not in contact with any of the cams until the torpedo islaunched. The said arrangement comprises a spring controlled piston d disposed in a cylinder communicating with the compressed air supply for the engine at a point between the starting valve and the engine. The rod of this piston has a notch engaging with a projection Z) on the aforesaid two-armed lever so that prior to launching the torpedo (that is to say when there is no air pressure in the cylinder) the spring of the piston will hold the arm (Z out of contact with the cams. As soon as the starting valve is opened as the torpedo leaves the launching tube, air under pressure is admitted to the cylinder and the piston is moved into the position shown so as to enable'the arm (Z to come into contact with the selected cam. It will be observed that the notchin the end of the piston rod is to the casing B and the steering of the torpedo in a curved course is effected by movin the controlling valve 13 relatively to the position in which it would otherwise be held by the gyroscope. The aforesaid device for effecting this movement comprises in the example shown, a rotary air motor 1% of suitable'construction through which the supply of air employed for maintaining the speed of the flywheel 00 passes, the air flowing through a channel A in the frame A",

an axial hole in thelower vertical center a of the'outer' gimbal a and a channel a in this gimbalto the motor K; from the motor the airpasses through ports in a hollow shaft offthe motor and along the shaft to a passage in againstthe surrounding wall of which the end of the shaft abuts, the air then flowing from this passage to a conduit a leading to the usnalr'nozzles appertaining to the flywheel. The rotary motor K is connpcted by gear wheels 70?, ,70 to a. worm is gearing-with a worm wheel K which forms part of or is connected to a gear wheel A meshing "with the gear wheel B of the valve B, the gear wheel A constituting the aforesaid valve actuating member of the outer gimbal. The unit comprising the worm wheel K and the gear Wheel A is rotat'ably mounted on the outer ginibal a is moved out of the notch and the motor K then operatesto move the valve B from the position in whichit would otherwise be held by the gyroscope. The position of the pawl is controlled by the position of the cam D which is similar the cam of Fig. 1 and is similarly driven from the engine when the torpedo has traveled a distance correspond ing to the estimated range of: the target;

for this purpose the pawl in the example and another conduit a according to the position of a distributing valve L connected to the/arm (Z of a two armed lever cl, d

whose other arm is adapted to-be operated upon by the cam D. When the arm (Z is in 7 contact with projections on the cam the V I i the valve ,M? is moved to;the leftby the spring of the'lever .m; meand air. under 7 parts are in the position shown with the pawl L 1n engagement with the notch in the disk 76 attached to the geariwheel-ic and the motor I; therefore prevented from operating; when however depressions of the cam rection of thetorpedoscourse. Ins'tead of the air motor K a spiral spring operating on clockwork maybe employed.

.The means for setting themechanism prior to launching so that the torpedo shall depart from its straight course to the right ,or'to the left as required, may comprisea suitable system of reversing gearing which in the form of the inventionshown by Fig. 1 would preferably be interposed between the ratchet wheel 0 and the worm C and in the form sho-wnby Fig.3 between the gear wheels 70 and 70 7 In the examples shown by Figs. 1 and 3 it has been assumed that when the apparatus has been setto cause the torpedo to be deflected :either to the right orto the left of its initial straight course, the curved portions of the subsequent kzourse shall always be inthesame direction as the direction of' the first deflecti'o'nl' It may be, however, that a course of a sinuous nature is requ',. that is to say, the torpedo may be required to take a course in which it is caused-to steer to the right and to the left alternately. Fig. 5 shows an arrangement applied to the construction shown by "Fig. 31in which an automatic reversing arrangement is en ployed' for obtaining such a'course. in this arrangement each of the aforesaid cams l) is associated with a second cam M (herein referred' to as thereversing cam) the function of which is at predetermined intervals to causethe movement'given to thecontrolling valveB by the motor K to be reversed, the periods of. the sai :intervals being. so ar- .ranged'in'relation to it 1e movement of the controlling cam thatthe reversing device 1s not permltted to operate while movement 1s being imparted to the valve asaforesaichthat isto' say this operation is allowed to' occur only while the-gearing interposed between the motor K and the igear wheel A" is not in; motion. -To eflect the said reversal there is'provided" in the example shown a spring-controlledbell-cranlr lever m whose arm mkcooperates .with the reversing cam and whose arm m is connectedatoa reversing valve M lVhen the arm m li opposite adepression in the reversing campressure passes through the 'conduitsflshown trolled piston n carrying a pivoted spring cylinder N containing a spring con- Ja and the worm K that gears with the worm wheel K mounted on the outer g1m bal a The movement of the reversing valve M to the left as aforesaid also admits airunder pressureto a cavity m communicatingwith a cylinder in which is dis posed a cut-cit valve M controlled by a spring which normally holds this valve in the open position shown. When a'r is admitted as stated to the cavity wa the cut-oft valve is moved to the right and serves to cut off the cylinder at from the source 0%. supply and also to place this cylinder to exhaust through thelconduit m=, the spring of the piston 11 then returning the latter to the position shown without imparting movement to the wheel a owing to the shape of the teeth on this wheel and those on the rod n. A similar operation to that described above occurs each time a depression in the'reversing cam M comes opposite the arm m andthe points of time at which the reversal in": movement of the controlling valve B shall take place is thus determined by theperipheral positions of the said depressions, the raised portions of the cam between the depressions merely serving to return the reversing valve M to the positionshown-and allowing the spring of the cutoff valve M to return it to the open position shown. The stroke of the piston n is so chosen that one complete downward stroke impartshalf a revolution to the eccentric N I 1 I In order resiliently to hold the eccentric in either ot its two extreme positions, a spring N" is connected to a pin n on'a pinion n gearingwith the aforesaid pinion n) to which motion is imparted by the 'jpiston'n and which transmits movement through the pinion n to the eccentric N in a ratio of one to two. The said spring also serves-the purpose of preventing the possibilityoii a number otsmall vibrations of the piston n becoming cumulative and thus unintentionally eiiectin reversal of the controlling valve B,

since after each such vibration the spring N returns the eccentric to the position it is to occupy for the time being.

A piston M similar to the piston (is provided for holding the arm m out of contact with the reversing cam until the torpedo is launched.

Although in most cases each of the cams D will be associated with a reversing cam M, this would not be so in the case in which one or more or" the cams D is intended to give the torpedo course with the curved portions in one direction only as, for example, that shown by Fig. l; in this event the controlling cam designed to impart this course would be associated with a plain disk moving in contact with the arm m and serving to hold the reversing valve M in the position shown during the whole time that the said controlling cam is in operation. The eccentric N can beoperated by hand from the exterior of the torpedo by suitable mechanism such as is shown in Fig. 6 so as to determine whether the initial departure from the'straight course shall be to the right orto the left and consequently to determine the directions of the' subsequent turns of the torpedo under the influence of the cam 11 For this purpose the said mechanism comprises a shaft N leading to the exterior of the torpedo and connected by the bevel gearing shown with a shaft nit which is capable of revolution in one direction only, that is to say in the same direction as the eccentric N The said shaft is arranged co-axially with the shaft carrying the pinion a and has a spring controlled piston N slidably keyed to it and disposed in a cylinder n in the frame A, to which cylinder air is admitted through the conduit a when the starting valve is opened on launching. The piston h has an extension N provided with a lateral proiection or which, prior to launching when adapted to engage with a lateral'projection m on the eccentric N (unless this projection already occupies its other extreme position) so that by rotating theshaft N the eccentric can be moved. to either of its extreme positions and he resiliently held therein by the spring 1 0 as aforesaid thereby'lu'inging the 'reversinggear to the required position. When the torpedo is launched air under pressure is admitted to the cylinder n and the piston N is thus caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 6 in which the projection 11 lies out 01": the path of the projection a during the time that the gyroscope is free to turn about the vertical centersa (5 Althoughthe aforesaid automatic reversing arrangement has been shown in conjunction with the form of the invention shown by Fig. 3, it could equally well be employed in conjunction with the form of the invention shown by Fig. 1, the reversing gear N then forming part of or taking the place of the system of reversing gearing interposed between the ratchet wheel 0 and the worm C in Fig. 1.

If desired one of the controlling cams D in any of the examples shown can be made plain and 01. a diameter equal to the diametrical distance between'the raised portions of the other of the cams; when the said plain cam is brought opposite the arm (5 and the torpedo is launched, no relative move- M ment willbe caused to take place between the controlling valve B and the valve cone 2 and the torpedo will thus travel in a straight course throughout the whole of its run. 1 a

Itis'to be understood that the constructional arrangements herein described for carrying out the invention may be varied without departing from the nature of the V ing relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve sea-ting the said means-embodying a cam which IGIIlZtlIlS" dormant until the torpedo has run a predetermined distance after launching. 2. An automobile torpedo of the kind set forth, provided with mechanism for causing relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve seating without disturbing the setting of'the gyroscope and also provided with a cam driven from the propelling engine for determining the points of'time at which the said mechanism shall come into operation to effect the said relative movement. 7 f

3; An automobile torpedo of the kind set i V forth, provided with means for causing relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve seating with out disturbing the setting of the gyroscope; and with an adjustable contrivance which can be set in accordance with the estimated range of the target for'causing the operation of the said means from-the propelling engine to commence as soon as this range has been run,

4. In an automobile torpedo of. the kind set forth, the combination of mechanism for causing relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve seating without disturbing the setting of the gyroscope, a series of cams any selected one of which can be'moved into an operative position prior to launching, an adjustable conforth, provided with means forcausing relative movement to occur between the con trolling valve and the valve seating withr out disturbing thesettingof the gyroscope,

the said means comprising a cam soconstructed as'to cause the torpedo, after missing thertargetfto follow a preliminary or preparatory course and then to follow a course in: the. form of a spiral so defined with regardto the speed ratio between the torpedo and the target, that whatever may be, the course in a straight line steered by the target, the torpedo] will eventually meet it.. V

6. An automobile torpedo of the kind set forth, provided with means for causing relative movement to occur between the controlling valve and the valve seating with outd-isturbing the setting of the gyroscope, the said means comprising acamand means for commencing to drive said cam only after a predetermined range has been run,.said

cam being so constructed that when it comv mences to move itrwill not operate to effect thevsaid relative movementguntil after the torpedo has 'run a predetermined distance beyond the predetermined range.

i '7. An eutomobiletorpedo ofthe kind set forth, provided with means for causing relative movement to occur between the valve and the valve seating without disturbing v the settingof the gyroscope and-with means,

capable of adjustment prior to the launchingof the torpedo, for enabling this relative movement 'to-cause the torpedoto depart from its course either'to the right or to the left as requiredor as many times as required. or 1 EDGAR LEES. HERBERT. WHEATLEY RIDSDALE. V 

